Method for opening a door of a delivery van

Abstract

A method for locating at least one object transported in a load compartment of a delivery van, wherein the load compartment has a plurality of doors for removing the at least one object from the load compartment and the delivery van has a controller, includes determining a current position of the at least one object in the load compartment during a journey of the delivery van with a position determination device communicatively connected to the controller, and, for removing the at least one object from the load compartment, determining that door from the plurality of doors with the shortest distance to the current position, indicating the determined door with an indication device communicatively connected to the controller and/or opening the determined door and indicating the current position of the at least one object in the load compartment with the indication device.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for locating at least one object transported in a load compartment of a delivery van, the load compartment having a plurality of doors for removing the at least one object from the load compartment, the delivery van having a controller, the method comprising:
 loading the at least one object into the load compartment of the delivery van; 
 determining a current position of the at least one object in the load compartment of the delivery van with a position determination device communicatively connected to the controller; 
 tracking the current position of the at least one object in the load compartment during a journey with the position determination device communicatively connected to the controller, while the current position of the at least one object in the load compartment changes due to starting, acceleration, cornering, braking, and/or stopping of the delivery van during the journey; 
 for removing the at least one object from the load compartment, determining that door from the plurality of doors with the shortest distance to the current position of the at least one object; 
 indicating the determined door with an indication device communicatively connected to the controller; 
 opening the determined door; and 
 indicating the current position of the at least one object in the load compartment with the indication device. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 loading the load compartment with a plurality of objects; and 
 determining the current position of all objects in the load compartment during the journey of the delivery van with the position determination device communicatively connected to the controller. 
 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the indication of the determined door and/or the indication of the current position of the at least one object in the load compartment comprises one or more of:
 an acoustic, haptic and/or visual signal; 
 a presentation on a display of the delivery van and/or of a mobile communication device; and 
 a presentation of the current position of the at least one object and/or of the door by projecting a laser beam onto the at least one object and/or the door. 
 
     
     
       4. The method according  claim 1 , wherein the indication of the current position of the at least one object in the load compartment comprises a presentation of a bounding volume around the at least one object. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of doors comprise a left-hand side door, a right-hand side door and/or a tailgate of the load compartment. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the position determination device comprises a camera and/or a laser scanner. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the position determination device is configured to determine an identification data record of the at least one object. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the load compartment is designed without shelves. 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the delivery van is an electric vehicle and/or does not have an internal combustion engine. 
     
     
       10. A delivery van having a load compartment for transporting at least one object, the delivery van comprising:
 a controller; 
 a position determination device which is communicatively connected to the controller and is configured to determine a current position of the at least one object in the load compartment; and 
 an indication device communicatively connected to the controller, 
 wherein the load compartment has a plurality of doors for removing the objects from the load compartment, 
 wherein the controller is configured for tracking the current position of the at least one object in the load compartment during a journey with the position determination device communicatively connected to the controller, while the current position of the at least one object in the load compartment changes due to starting, acceleration, cornering, braking, and/or stopping of the delivery van during the journey, 
 wherein the controller, for removing the at least one object from the load compartment, is configured to determine that door from the plurality of doors with the shortest distance to the current position of the at least one object, to control the indication device to indicate the determined door, to cause opening of the determined door, and to control the indication device to indicate the current position of the at least one object in the load compartment. 
 
     
     
       11. The delivery van according to  claim 10 , wherein the indication of the determined door and/or the indication of the current position of the at least one object in the load compartment comprises one or more of:
 an acoustic, haptic and/or visual signal; 
 a presentation on a display of the delivery van and/or of a mobile communication device; and 
 a presentation of the current position of the at least one object and/or of the door by projecting a laser beam onto the at least one object and/or the door. 
 
     
     
       12. The delivery van according to  claim 10 , wherein the indication of the current position of the at least one object in the load compartment comprises a presentation of a bounding volume around the at least one object. 
     
     
       13. The delivery van according to  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of doors comprises a left-hand side door, a right-hand side door and/or a tailgate of the load compartment. 
     
     
       14. The delivery van according to  claim 10 , wherein the position determination device comprises a camera and/or a laser scanner. 
     
     
       15. The delivery van according to  claim 10 , wherein the position determination device is configured to determine an identification data record of the at least one object. 
     
     
       16. The delivery van according to  claim 10 , wherein the load compartment is designed without shelves. 
     
     
       17. The delivery van according to  claim 10 , wherein the delivery van is an electric vehicle and/or does not have an internal combustion engine.